


He’s Always Had A Heart

by be_the_good_guys



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Irondad, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Professor Hulk - Freeform, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 21:47:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19118329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/be_the_good_guys/pseuds/be_the_good_guys
Summary: They still had to remove the gauntlet from Tony’s body.A series of one-shots dealing with the aftermath of Tony’s death.





	1. All That’s Left To Do

Pepper’s muffled sobs against her husbands neck shattered the quiet like glass.  
Steve watched numbly as Rhodey moved from his current position with his hand on the kid’s- Peter Parker, Steve recalled- shoulder to kneel down beside Pepper, tearfully whispering to her what Steve imagined to be words of comfort. Pepper gasped, and she turned to Rhodey, breaking into another round of sobs as the War Machine held her. Her hand stayed firmly put on her husband’s shoulder as the rest of her body shook in her immense grief.  
Parker remained standing where Rhodey had left, eyes frozen on the scene before him, and had moved on from crying to swaying on the spot. Steve had seen that look, that stance, before in the younger soldiers in World War II and he’d hoped he’d never have to see it again. It was pure exhaustion and trauma and shock overwhelming a mind too untouched to process the loss it was going through.  
“Queens,” Steve called to him, because it looked like the kid was about to pass out. Carol Danvers got there first, with a kind “Hey, Peter Parker”, radiating poise and power despite the tears shining in her eyes. She coaxed the kid into sitting down on a nearby piece of rubble, before making eye contact with Steve and walking over.  
Steve managed to tear his eyes away from Rhodey and Pepper and Tony Stark’s body to talk to their Captain Marvel, only to find her surveying the terrain as though searching for an enemy still standing. He looked out as well. Their fellow Avengers were holding each other and reuniting, crying with relief or grief or both. Tony had turned the enemy to dust in the air and paid for it with his life. When Carol seemed satisfied with the lack of imminent threat, her shoulders relaxed and Steve took that as a signal he could say what had been on his mind for the past few minutes.  
“We should remove the gauntlet.” Even though the Infinity Stones were out of the way of harming anybody, they had burnt the life out of Tony and Steve didn’t want them attached to his body any longer than they needed to be.  
Carol glanced at Steve, and then over his shoulder. “Looks like that’s being handled,” she said in a somber tone.  
Thor, with his expression set in stone, was helping Pepper and Rhodey slip the Gauntlet off of Tony’s charred hand, putting Tony’s body to rest at last. The God of Thunder carried the Gauntlet under his arm towards Doctor Strange.  
“I should go help deal with that,” Carol said, with a step in their direction. She paused, glancing over her shoulder. “Steve?”  
He turned back to her after watching Pepper gently close her husband’s eyes.  
“We take care of our own,” Carol said, and continued towards Thor and Strange.  
Steve allowed her words to sink in. And when they had, he sat at the opposite end of the piece of rubble Peter Parker was also sitting on, and allowed himself to cry.


	2. They Were With Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony’s death from Tony’s point of view.

Fuck, it hurt.  
The snap had been like an atomic bomb going off right next to Tony’s ear. By the time he’d stumbled to the side, he could still hear it echoing around his skull.  
It’s the only think he can hear besides the ringing. The air is filled with dust again, and he wonders if it had all been a dream. Was he still on Titan?  
No, he thought. He can picture Morgan’s face, her brown eyes- his eyes- too perfectly for it to have been a dream.  
He’s sitting down now, against a piece of rubble from the compound. This was better. He just needed to sit down for a bit, and then he’d be fine to go home.  
Rhodey was in front of him. Tony wanted to grin at him, but the muscles in his face were too numb. Even though there were tears streaming down Rhodey’s face, Tony had never been more relieved to see his best friend safe and sound. He made a note to take Rhodey out to drinks later, to thank him for putting up with him their whole lives. It was about damn time.  
The kid had replaced Rhodey before Tony could propose that idea, kneeling before him. He was saying things Tony couldn’t hear over that goddamn ringing in his ears, which was deeply frustrating, because Tony never wanted to miss a word Peter had to say again. The kid was also crying pretty hard, shoulders shaking and everything, but his hand was steady on Tony’s uninjured arm. _God, Underoos,_ Tony wondered, with immeasurable pride. _When did you grow up?_ As he watched Peter, a panicked thought pierced through his haze. _You’ll never know how much I love you._  
There were hands on Peter’s shoulders now, gently pulling him away. Wait, Tony wanted to shout out, but his tongue had turned to lead. He wanted- he needed to tell Peter before it was too late, like it had been on Titan. But then he caught a word by reading the kid’s lips; he’d said his name. Not Mister Stark. “Tony”. Tony’s insides unclenched with that single word. Tony wouldn’t need to tell him how he loved him like a son. Peter already knew.  
His vision became filled with Pepper. She was there, and the blue armor he had made her took him back to the night he fell in love with her in a gown of the same shade. No- he’d always loved her, it was impossible not to. It had just taken his stubborn big brain longer to recognize his feelings, as always. But he wasn’t like that anymore. He still couldn’t hear what Pepper was saying now, but he could imagine her soft voice, and it overpowered even the ringing in his head. We’re going to be okay.  
He took her word for it. He couldn’t feel much anymore. Had Pepper taken his pain away? When did she get that power? No, what was he thinking. She’s always had it. That was one of the billion reasons he loved her.  
She wasn’t crying like Peter and Rhodey had been. He was glad. He never wanted to see her cry. She was so beautiful, he could see Morgan growing up to be just as beautiful so clearly.  
He caught a word on her lips. Rest.  
For once in his life, he would comply to that order. He’d been fighting for so long, longer than he had even realized. He was so tired. He’d just close his eyes for a bit, and when he woke up he’d buy Rhodey that drink, listen to Peter ramble, and give Pepper every comfort she deserved. He’d watch Morgan graduate and take on the world like he knew she would.  
He held onto Pepper’s image as long as he could, finding Morgan in her features. Her smile, her kindness, her warmth, she was all there with him, putting him at peace and filling his fading heart with love. Something bright bloomed in his vision and put up a wall between them, but it was okay. He’d memorized every detail of Pepper’s face, so when he drifted off, he’d dream about her, just like he promised. It was always her...  
When morning came, Tony was somewhere he didn’t recognize. Footsteps approached him from behind, but he knew there was no need to be wary.  
“So?” His old friend asked, coming to a stop beside him. “How did it go?”  
Tony placed a hand over his chest in search of his heart beat. When he found it, it was beneath an unscarred chest, whole and unscathed.  
He turned to Yinsen and smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading I’m-lying-on-the-bathroom-floor-and-crying-over-Tony-Stark pt. 2.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry it’s short i wrote it in the notes app at 2 am when i was missing tony


End file.
